1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air compressor equipment for vehicles and, more especially, to air compressor equipment that can repair and inflate punctured tires of vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional sealant dispenser generally includes a cap, a bottle, and a tube. The bottle contains the chemical sealant that can be used to repair a tire. The cap is provided with two hose connectors, one of which is used for receiving the high-pressure air generated by an air compressor, and the other one of which is used for delivering the chemical sealant. The tube is fitted into the cap, so that when the cap is combined with the bottle, the tube will be inserted into the bottle.
Currently, among the existing equipment for repairing tires, some equipment uses a box, being furnished with an air compressor therein, and a separate sealant dispenser in cooperation with the box. If a tire required to be repaired, the user can connect a first hose, which is attached with an inlet of the sealant dispenser, to an air outlet of the box and can connect a second hose, which is attached with an outlet of the sealant dispenser, to an air nozzle of a punctured tire. After starting the air compressor of the box, the chemical sealant contained in the bottle of the dispenser can be delivered to the punctured tire for a repair. This kind of separate box design only allows the sealant dispenser to be installed in one orientation for an application; namely, the sealant dispenser can only work under upright orientation or it can only work under inverted orientation, but it cannot work under upright orientation as well as inverted orientation. The term “upright orientation” means that the bottom of the bottle of the sealant dispenser faces downwardly while the cap of the bottle of the sealant dispenser faces upwardly when operating the dispenser. The term “inverted orientation” means that the bottom of the bottle of the sealant dispenser faces upwardly while the cap of the bottle of sealant dispenser faces downwardly when operating the dispenser.
EP1605162A2 disclosed an invention, wherein the box and the sealant dispenser are separate. The bottom of the bottle of the sealant dispenser faces upwardly, and the sealant dispenser can only work under inverted orientation. Such design has some shortcomings. One shortcoming is that the sealant dispenser is attached with two hoses, which may cause inconvenience in storing the dispenser. Another shortcoming is that the two hoses are not easy to be distinguished by users for a correct connection. A further shortcoming is that the sealant dispenser is easy to tip over while in operation.
WO2004/039567A1 disclosed an invention, wherein the sealant dispenser is positioned at a box and operated under upright orientation, but it cannot work under inverted orientation.
WO2003/004328A1 disclosed a sealant dispenser, which can be operated under inverted orientation, but it cannot work under upright orientation.
WO2009/119317A1 and WO2005/084968A2 disclosed inventions, wherein the sealant dispenser is installed to a box and only works under inverted orientation.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,178,564B2 disclosed an invention relating to a sealant dispenser that only works under a specific orientation (for supplying the chemical sealant, but not for reclaiming the chemical sealant).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,348B2, US2008/0098855A1, and WO2003/041949A1 disclosed inventions, wherein the sealant dispenser is operated under horizontal orientation (the bottle and the cap are parallel to the ground surface).
In view of the prior-art technology, all the conventional sealant dispensers cannot work under upright orientation as well as inverted orientation. Besides, the hose connector receiving the high-pressure air and the hose connector delivering the chemical perform their default functions respectively. In other words, the hose connector, which receives the high-pressure air, cannot be used to deliver the chemical sealant. Similarly, the hose connector, which delivers the chemical sealant, cannot be used to receive the high-pressure air.
Accordingly, in view of the shortcomings and inconvenience of the prior-art technology and based on a deep thinking of the related technology, applicant has contrived a piece of air compressor equipment that has an improvement over the prior-art technology.